TW201911879A - Headphone System - Google Patents

Abstract

A headphone system includes a headphone body and a signal source device. The headphone body includes a connection kit, a first earmuff module, a second earmuff module, a connection port, and a processor. The first earmuff module is connected to a first terminal of the connection kit. The first earmuff module includes at least one first pressure sensor and a first speaker. The second earmuff module is connected to a second terminal of the connection kit. The second earmuff module includes at least one second pressure sensor and a second speaker. The connection port is used for receiving an audio source signal from the signal source device. The processor receives a plurality of pressure values detected by the at least one first pressure sensor and second pressure sensor and sets at least one set of equalizer gains of the first speaker and the second speaker according to the pressure values.

Description

Headphone system

The present invention describes an earphone system, and more particularly a headphone system having an equalizer gain that optimizes speaker output sound.

Due to the ever-changing technology, a wide variety of headphones are also used in personal computers, notebook computers, smart phones, tablets, and music players to provide a quality listening experience. Headphones have also evolved into many forms depending on the user's needs. For example, over-the-ear headphones, on-ear headphones, earbuds, and ear canal headphones.

The earphones are generally bulky, and because the sounding unit can cover the entire pinna (Pinna), it is relatively comfortable to wear. Also, due to the large size, the earphones are mostly used indoors, such as a recording studio. The earphones are smaller than the earphones, and the sounding unit is pressed against the auricle. On-ear headphones have higher portability than over-the-ear headphones. The earphones plug the sounding unit out of the ear hole. And because of its small size, light weight, simple manufacturing and low cost, it is the most widely used earphone. However, the earphone type earphone has limited external sound insulation capability, and the sound field is insufficient, so the output sound quality is poor. The ear canal earphones also have a small size and light weight, and the sounding unit is deep inside the ear canal, so the output sound source is closer to the eardrum than the earphone.

Nowadays, over-the-ear headphones and on-ear headphones have gradually become mainstream due to the user's demand for high sound quality of headphones. However, due to the difference in head shape and ear shape of each person, the above-mentioned earphones and earphones may have a difference in an equivalent airtight space or a resonant cavity when they are fitted to the human ear. In other words, even if the speaker output of the earphone and the earphone conforms to the sound of the standard equalizer gain curve, the sound actually heard by different users will also be due to the difference in the shape of the head and the shape of each ear. different. Therefore, the current over-the-ear headphones and on-ear headphones cannot be used for different user head shapes and ear shapes, so that the user has an optimized hearing experience.

An embodiment of the invention provides an earphone system including a headphone body and a signal source device. The earphone body includes a connection kit, a first earmuff module, a second earmuff module, a port, and a processor. The connection kit is a belt structure. The first earmuff module is coupled to the first end of the connection kit. The first earmuff module includes at least one first pressure sensor and a first speaker. The second earmuff module is coupled to the second end of the connection kit. The second earmuff module includes at least one second pressure sensor and a second speaker. The port is used to receive the sound source signal. The processor is coupled to the at least one first pressure sensor, the at least one second pressure sensor, the first speaker, the second speaker, and the connection port for controlling the first speaker and the second speaker. The signal source device is coupled to the connection port of the earphone body for generating an audio source signal. The processor receives the plurality of pressure values detected by the at least one first pressure sensor and the at least one second pressure sensor. The processor sets at least one set of equalizer gains of the first speaker and the second speaker based on the pressure values.

1 is an architectural diagram of an embodiment of a headset system 100 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the earphone system 100 as viewed from a side view. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the first earmuff module 13a disassembled in the earphone system 100. The earphone system 100 includes a headphone body 10 and a signal source device 11. The earphone body 10 can be a covered earphone or an on-ear earphone. The signal source device 11 can be any device that emits a sound source signal, such as a personal computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, or a walkman. The connection between the earphone body 10 and the signal source device 11 can be connected by wire via the connection port P. However, the earphone body 10 and the signal source device 11 may also be connected by wireless means, for example, using a Bluetooth wireless protocol or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) wireless protocol. The earphone body 10 includes a connection kit 18, a first earmuff module 13a, a second earmuff module 13b, a connection port P, and a processor 16. Here, the connection port P and the processor 16 are placed in the second earmuff module 13b in FIG. 1, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the connection port P and the processor 16 can be placed in the earphone body 10. Any area. The attachment kit 18 can be a belt structure, such as a metal or plastic body having a curvature. The first earmuff module 13a is coupled to the first end (eg, the right end) of the connection kit 18 for emitting sound to the user's right ear. The first earmuff module 13a includes a plurality of first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A) and a first speaker 20a (shown in FIG. 3). The first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 can be used to sense the pressure values when the ear, the ear, and/or the ear are attached to the first earmuff module 13a. Moreover, the first earmuff module 13a can be a hermetic earmuff module. The airtight earmuff module is defined as a high degree of tightness between the first earmuff module 13a and the auricle when the user wears the earphone body 10, which can block the medium and sound of the external environment. A closed resonant cavity can be formed between the first earmuff module 13a and the auricle. The first earmuff module 13a further includes a first support back cover 14a and a first ear cover member 15a. The first support back cover 14a can be a rigid back cover that is pivotally connected to the connection kit 18. In other words, the first end of the connection kit 18 can include a first pivot portion 19a (as shown in FIG. 2). The first support back cover 14a can be rotated by the first pivoting portion 19a as a fulcrum. The first ear cover member 15a is sleeved on the first support back cover 14a. The first ear cover member 15a may be a member having a soft material such as a foam member.

Similarly, the second earmuff module 13b is coupled to the second end (eg, the left end) of the attachment kit 18 for emitting sound to the user's left ear. The second earmuff module 13b includes a plurality of second pressure sensors PS4 to PS6 (as shown in FIG. 4B) and a second speaker 20b (as shown in the second figure). The second pressure sensors PS4 to PS6 can be used to sense the pressure values at the back of the ear, on the ear, and/or under the ear when the second earmuff module 13b is attached. Moreover, the second earmuff module 13b can be a gas-tight earmuff module, and has the ability to block the medium and sound of the external environment. A closed resonant cavity can also be formed between the second earmuff module 13b and the auricle. The second earmuff module 13b further includes a second support back cover 14b and a second ear cover member 15b. The second support back cover 14b can be a rigid back cover that is pivotally connected to the connection kit 18. In other words, the second end of the connection kit 18 can include a second pivot portion 19b (as shown in FIG. 2). The second support back cover 14b can be rotated by the second pivot portion 19b as a fulcrum. The second ear cover member 15b is sleeved on the second support back cover 14b. The second ear cover member 15b may be a member having a soft material such as a foam member.

In the headphone body 10, the processor 16 is coupled to the plurality of first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3, the plurality of second pressure sensors PS4 to PS6, the first speaker 20a, the second speaker 20b, and the connection port P, It is used to control the first speaker 20a and the second speaker 20b. The processor 16 can receive a plurality of pressure values detected by the plurality of first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 and the plurality of second pressure sensors PS4 to PS6, and set the first speaker 20a according to the pressure values. And a set of equalizer gains 20b of the second speaker such that the equalizer gain heard by the human ear is a normalized equalizer gain.

In the above-described earphone system 100, the relative positions and shapes of the respective elements are not limited by the first to third figures. For example, in the headset system 100, the processor 16 of the headset body 10 can be placed in any position. The first support back cover 14a, the second support back cover 14b, the first ear cover member 15a, and the second ear cover member 15b of the earphone body 10 are also not necessarily designed to have a circular shape (as shown in FIG. 2). For example, these elements can be in the shape of a polygon. The first earmuff module 13a may also include only one pressure sensor, and the second earmuff module 13b may also include only one pressure sensor. Any reasonable material change, shape or function change of the component is within the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the first earmuff module 13a disassembled in the earphone system 100. As mentioned above, the first earmuff module 13a includes a first support back cover 14a and a first ear cover member 15a. As shown in FIG. 3, the first support back cover 14a may be a hard cover material of the cover type, which can be used to cover the first speaker 20a. The first supporting back cover 14a (hard material) and the first ear cover member 15a (soft material) may further include a first supporting partition 21a. As shown in FIG. 3, the first supporting partition 21a may be a rigid supporting material such as a plastic separator or an acrylic separator. The first ear cover member 15a can be sleeved on the circumference of the first support partition 21a. A plurality of first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 may be disposed on one side of the first support spacer 21a. As mentioned above, when the first earmuff module 13a is fitted to the human ear, since the first ear cover member 15a is of a soft material, the first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 can sense the pressure values at different positions. It should be understood that since the first earmuff component 15a is a soft material, when the first earmuff component 15a is fitted to the human ear, different positions correspond to different pressure values, and the first earmuff component 15a is deformed. For example, the first pressure sensor PS1 may be disposed above the corresponding human ear, and when the first ear cover member 15a is deformed by the pressure, the pressure value corresponding to the upper position of the human ear may be sensed. The first pressure sensor PS2 may be disposed at a rear of the corresponding human ear, and when the first earmuff member 15a is deformed by the pressure, the pressure value corresponding to the rear position of the human ear may be sensed. The first pressure sensor PS3 may be disposed under the corresponding human ear. When the first earmuff component 15a is deformed by pressure, the pressure value corresponding to the lower position of the human ear may be sensed. However, it should be understood that the more pressure sensors are included within the first earmuff module 13a, the ability to estimate more position pressure values. When less pressure sensors are included in the first earmuff module 13a, only a small amount of pressure can be estimated. Moreover, the distribution position of the pressure sensor of the present invention is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 3, and the pressure sensor can be disposed in a uniform distribution or a centralized distribution manner, and any reasonable technical change belongs to the present invention. The scope of the disclosure. Moreover, the disassembled state of the second earmuff module 13b is similar to the first earmuff module 13a. The functions of the components in the second earmuff module 13b are also similar to those of the first earmuff module 13a, and thus will not be described herein.

Fig. 4A is a schematic view showing the first structure of the first earmuff module 13a in the earphone system 100. FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the second earmuff module 13b in the earphone system 100. As shown in FIG. 4A, the first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 are disposed between the first support back cover 14a and the first support spacer 21a. When the first earmuff component 15a having a soft material is attached to the human ear, the first pressure sensor detects the pressure value generated at the corresponding position. For example, the first pressure sensor PS1 can detect the pressure value at the position on the ear. However, it should be understood that since the first supporting partition 21a may be a hard material, the first supporting partition 21a also averages the pressure of each position of the first ear covering member 15a to the first pressure sensor. PS1 to PS3 pass. In other words, with the first pressure sensor PS1, in addition to the pressure value at which the position on the ear can be sensed, the average value of the pressure of each position of the first ear cover member 15a can be sensed. Similarly, the first pressure sensor PS2 and the first pressure sensor PS3 can also detect the pressure value of the corresponding position and the average value of the pressure of each position of the first ear cover part 15a. The structure of the second earmuff module 13b of FIG. 4B corresponds to the structure of the first earmuff module 13a. The operation and function of each component is similar to that of the first earmuff module 13a, and thus will not be described herein.

Fig. 5A is a schematic view showing a second structure of the first earmuff module 13a in the earphone system 100. FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a second structure of the second earmuff module 13b in the earphone system 100. As shown in FIG. 5A, the first pressure sensors PS1 to PS3 are disposed on one side of the first support back cover 14a facing the first ear cover member 15a, and the first ear cover member 15a can cover the first pressure feeling Detectors PS1 to PS3. When the first earmuff component 15a having a soft material is attached to the human ear, the first pressure sensor detects the pressure value generated at the corresponding position. For example, the first pressure sensor PS1 can detect the pressure value at the position on the ear. Moreover, since the first pressure sensor PS1 can directly detect the pressure value of the corresponding position according to the degree of deformation of the first ear cover member 15a at the corresponding position, the first pressure sensor PS1 will have a very high Accuracy. Similarly, the first pressure sensor PS2 and the first pressure sensor PS3 can also accurately detect the pressure value of the corresponding position. The structure of the second earmuff module 13b of FIG. 5B corresponds to the structure of the first earmuff module 13a. The operation and function of each component is similar to that of the first earmuff module 13a, and thus will not be described herein.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the equalizer gain that has not been adjusted by the detection results of the pressure sensor in the earphone system 100. As mentioned above, the first earmuff module 13a and the second earmuff module 13b of the earphone body 10 in the earphone system 100 can be a gas-tight earmuff module, which has a high degree of tightness and can block the outside. The medium and sound in the environment. Moreover, the first earmuff module 13a and the second earmuff module 13b and the two auricles respectively form two closed resonant cavities. In the case of the first earmuff module 13a, when the first earmuff module 13a is fitted to the right ear of the user, the resonant cavity between the first earmuff module 13a and the right ear's auricle is subject to the size of the ear. And there are differences. Therefore, different shapes of the right ear or head shape will affect the frequency gain of the sound heard. For the sake of consistency of description, the "frequency gain" of the sound will be referred to hereinafter as "equalizer gain". Broadly speaking, the equalizer gain is the value of the magnification (gain) corresponding to the spectrum of the sound at a certain frequency. As shown in Fig. 6, the first speaker 20a in the first earmuff module 13a can emit a sound that conforms to the equalizer gain curve of the broken line. However, even if the equalizer gain curve of the dotted line is the standard equalizer gain curve C1, the sound emitted by the first speaker 20a is still affected by the ear shape of the different right ear. In other words, since the hermetic cavity will be different depending on the size of the ear, the frequency response of the sound will change. That is, the gain of the high frequency region or the low frequency region of the sound may be different by the resonance cavity, and the gain may become larger or the gain may be reduced. Therefore, the equalizer gain curve shown in Fig. 6 is only an embodiment. The variability of the equalizer gain curves C1 and C1' is not limited by Figure 6. In this embodiment, the actual sound heard by the user's right ear will conform to the solid line equalizer gain curve C1'. In other words, the equalizer gain curve C1' can be viewed as an equalizer gain curve in which the frequency response has changed. For example, in Fig. 6, the gain of the high frequency portion of the equalizer gain curve C1' corresponding to the actual sound heard is excessively larger than the standard equalizer gain curve C1. Therefore, the user can hear too sharp sounds and affect the listening experience. Therefore, the earphone system 100 of the present invention must perform an adjustment mechanism of the equalizer gain curve to reduce the equalizer gain curve C1' whose frequency response is changed to the standard equalizer gain curve C1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the equalizer gain adjusted by the detection results of the pressure sensors PS1 to PS6 in the earphone system 100. As mentioned above, with the first earmuff module 13a, even the first speaker 20a can emit a sound that conforms to the standard equalizer gain curve. However, due to the difference in the shape of the human ear or the different head shapes, the frequency response corresponding to the equivalent equalizer gain curve that the human ear actually hears the sound will still change. Therefore, the earphone system 100 must set or adjust the equalizer gain curve C2 of the first speaker 20a in the first earmuff module 13a so that the equivalent equalizer gain curve actually heard by the human ear approaches Standard equalizer gain curve C2'. One embodiment will be described below. The earphone body 10 may further include a memory body 17. The memory 17 can be coupled to the processor 16 for storing equalizer gain curves corresponding to different sets of pressure values. As described herein, the equalizer gain curve can be a connecting line segment of a plurality of sound frequencies and a corresponding plurality of gains. Therefore, the "equalizer gain curve" referred to herein may include a set of equalizer gains. As shown in FIG. 7, the processor 16 can set the equalizer gain curve of the first speaker 20a and the second speaker 20b according to the plurality of pressure values detected by the pressure sensor, so that the human ear actually hears the sound. The equivalent equalizer gain curve approaches the standard equalizer gain curve C2'. However, the present invention is not limited to methods using memory 17 or similar look-up tables to generate a suitable equalizer gain curve from a plurality of pressure values. For example, the headset system 100 can also generate a suitable equalizer gain curve through the processor 16 using a numerical analysis. Any manner of producing a corresponding standard equalizer gain curve that conforms to the sound heard by the human ear is within the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the equalizer gain of the sound actually received by the human ear in the earphone system 100. As mentioned above, the earphone system 100 can adjust the equalizer gain curve C1' from which the human ear actually hears the sound to the standard equalizer gain curve C2' based on a plurality of pressure values. Therefore, for users of different ear shapes or head shapes, the final sound heard will conform to (near) the standard equalizer gain curve C2'. In other words, the headset system 100 of the present invention provides a good listening experience for different users.

The "standard equalizer gain curve" mentioned above may be a preset parameter preset by the system or a user-defined customized parameter. For example, the user can customize the standard equalizer gain curve corresponding to various scene modes according to his own preference, and can also customize each frequency response value on the standard equalizer gain curve. Therefore, when the earphone system is used by another user, if the standard equalizer gain curve set by the previous user is not used by another user, the other user can redefine his own standard equalizer gain curve. To achieve the best listening experience.

In summary, the present invention describes an earphone system. The earphone body in the earphone system can be a covered earphone or an on-ear earphone. Since there is a closed space between the earmuff module and the auricle, this closed space will vary with each person's ear or head shape. In order to compensate for the problem of changing the frequency response of the sound caused by the closed space of different users, the earphone system of the present invention utilizes at least one pressure sensor to detect pressure values at different locations around the human ear. Based on these pressure values, the equalizer gain curve in the left and right ear speakers is set so that the final sound heard by the user of different ear or head shapes will conform to (near) the standard equalizer gain curve. Therefore, the earphone system of the present invention can provide a good hearing experience for different users. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

100‧‧‧ headphone system

10‧‧‧ headphone body

11‧‧‧Signal source device

12‧‧‧Connecting line

13a‧‧‧First earmuff module

13b‧‧‧Second earmuff module

14a‧‧‧First support back cover

14b‧‧‧Second support back cover

15a‧‧‧First earmuffs

15b‧‧‧Second earmuffs

16‧‧‧ Processor

17‧‧‧ memory

P‧‧‧Connector

18‧‧‧Connecting kit

19a‧‧‧First pivotal

19b‧‧‧Second pivotal

20a‧‧‧First speaker

20b‧‧‧second speaker

PS1 to PS3‧‧‧First Pressure Sensor

PS4 to PS6‧‧‧Second pressure sensor

21a‧‧‧First support partition

21b‧‧‧Second support partition

C1, C1', C2, C2'‧‧‧ equalizer gain curve

Figure 1 is an architectural diagram of an embodiment of the headset system of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the earphone system of Fig. 1 viewed from a side view. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the first earmuff module being disassembled in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 4A is a schematic view showing the first structure of the first earmuff module in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 4B is a schematic view showing the first structure of the second earmuff module in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 5A is a schematic view showing the second structure of the first earmuff module in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 5B is a schematic view showing the second structure of the second earmuff module in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the adjustment of the equalizer gain by the detection result of the pressure sensor in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the adjustment of the equalizer gain by the detection result of the pressure sensor in the earphone system of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the equalizer gain of the sound actually received by the human ear in the earphone system of Fig. 1.

Claims (10)

An earphone system comprising: a headphone body, comprising: a connection kit, the connection kit is a belt structure; a first earmuff module coupled to one of the first ends of the connection kit, the first ear mask mold The set includes at least one first pressure sensor and a first speaker; a second earmuff module coupled to one of the second ends of the connection kit, the second earmuff module including at least one second pressure sensing And a second speaker; a port for receiving a sound source signal; and a processor coupled to the at least one first pressure sensor, the at least one second pressure sensor, the first speaker The second speaker and the port are configured to control the first speaker and the second speaker; and a signal source device is coupled to the port of the earphone body for generating the sound source signal; wherein the processing Receiving a plurality of pressure values detected by the at least one first pressure sensor and the at least one second pressure sensor, and setting at least one of the first speaker and the second speaker according to the pressure values group Of gain. The earphone system of claim 1, wherein the first earmuff module further comprises: a first support back cover pivotally connected to the connection kit; and a first ear cover component sleeved on the first support The at least one first pressure sensor is disposed between the first support back cover and the first ear cover member, and the first ear cover member has a soft material. The earphone system of claim 2, wherein the first earmuff module is a gas-tight earmuff module, and the first earmuff module further comprises a first supporting partition, the first supporting partition The plate is disposed between the first support back cover and the first ear cover component, and the at least one first pressure sensor is disposed on the first support baffle. The earphone system of claim 2, wherein the second earmuff module further comprises: a second support back cover pivotally connected to the connection kit; and a second ear cover component disposed on the second support The at least one second pressure sensor is disposed between the second support back cover and the second ear cover member, and the second ear cover member has a soft material. The earphone system of claim 4, wherein the second earmuff module is a gas-tight earmuff module, and the second earmuff module further comprises a second supporting partition, the second supporting partition The plate is disposed between the second support back cover and the second ear cover component, and the at least one second pressure sensor is disposed on the second support baffle. The earphone system of claim 1, wherein the connection kit comprises: a first pivoting portion disposed at the first end of the connection kit, the first supporting back cover being pivoted by the first pivoting portion Rotate. The earphone system of claim 6, wherein the connection kit comprises: a second pivoting portion disposed at the second end of the connecting kit, the second supporting back cover being pivoted by the second pivoting portion Rotate. The earphone system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure after one ear, one ear, and/or one ear under the first earmuff module value. The earphone system of claim 8, wherein the at least one second pressure sensor is configured to sense pressure when an ear, an ear, and/or an ear are attached to the second earmuff module. value. The earphone system of claim 1, wherein the earphone body further comprises: a memory coupled to the processor for storing the set of equalizer gains corresponding to the pressure values.